U.S. patent number 4,704,955 [Application Number 06/887,548] was granted by the patent office on 1987-11-10 for cooking apparatus.
Invention is credited to Stephen J. Archibald.
United States Patent |
4,704,955 |
Archibald |
November 10, 1987 |
Cooking apparatus
Abstract
Cooking apparatus includes a ploughshare shaped dish, the
concave surface of which includes a plurality of raised formations
on which food may be cooked. Drainage channels are defined on this
surface, the channels leading to indentations defined in the
operatively lowermost regions of the dish and in which, in use,
basting liquids will collect. The dish includes a flat central
region. The apparatus will preferably be adapted to be heated by a
barbecue fire heat source and/or by gas from a gas container.
Inventors: |
Archibald; Stephen J. (Sandton,
ZA) |
Family
ID: |
25577914 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/887,548 |
Filed: |
July 17, 1986 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
99/339; D7/359;
99/345; 99/425; D7/337 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47J
37/0713 (20130101); A47J 37/0682 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47J
37/06 (20060101); A47J 37/07 (20060101); A47J
037/07 () |
Field of
Search: |
;99/339,444,445,446,422,425,345,448 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2531329 |
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Feb 1984 |
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FR |
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221268 |
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Aug 1942 |
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CH |
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602071 |
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Jul 1978 |
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CH |
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Primary Examiner: Marcus; Stephen
Assistant Examiner: Graveline; T.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: McAulay, Fields, Fisher, Goldstein
& Nissen
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A cooking apparatus comprising a shallow cooking dish with an
inner side having a uniformly continuous concave shaped food
receiving surface portion and an outer side having a convex-shaped
portion adapted to be heated by a heat source directed to said
outer side of said dish, said inner side of said dish including a
substantially flat circularly shaped bottom and a truncated
conically-shaped side portion extending from said bottom and
together with said bottom forming an interior for said food
receiving portion and defining said concave-shaped food receiving
portion, and a multiplicity of raised formations covering at least
a major portion of said concave surface of the dish spaced from
said flat bottom and substantially concentric therewith.
2. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more
indentations are defined near the bottom of the dish and the
truncated conically-shaped side portion of said concave surface of
the dish has liquid drainage channels thereon directed such that,
in use, liquid on the surface will drain into the indentation or
indentations and away from said flat bottom.
3. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the dish is
manufactured of cast iron.
4. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the dish is
adapted to be supported on support legs.
5. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the convex
side of the dish has a rigid skirt depending therefrom towards said
flat bottom, but free of connection therewith.
6. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the dish is
adapted to be mounted above and supported by a portable gas
container.
7. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus
has a handle by which it may be carried.
8. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
substantially flat bottom of the dish is encircled by a low ridge
to define a central region.
9. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the low ridge
has one or more drainage cuts formed therein for draining liquids
away from said central region.
10. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the raised
formations comprise a plurality of parallel rib formations for
preventing of migration of food towards said flat bottom.
11. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said rib
formations extend substantially circumferentially around at least
part of the cooking surface and some of said rib formations lie in
different parallel planes.
12. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the convex
side of the dish has a rigid skirt depending therefrom with a
uniformly continuous surface.
13. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the rib
formations are substantially parallel with a perimeter rim of the
dish to provide for a stepped cooking surface and the collection of
cooking sauces on the inner side of the dish.
14. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said rib
formations extend only part way around the truncated
conically-shaped side portion and the remainder is a smooth
portion, and said bottom of the dish is encircled by a low ridge to
define a central region separating said smooth portion from said
bottom.
15. A cooking apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein one or more
indentations are defined near the bottom of the dish and the
truncated conically-shaped side portion of said concave surface of
the dish has liquid drainage channels thereon directed such that,
in use, liquid on the surface will drain into the indentation or
indentations.
16. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the convex
side of the dish has a rigid skirt with a uniformly continuous
surface connected solely with said convex side for assisting in
heat retention and flame protection.
17. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein one or more
indentations are defined near the bottom of the dish and below said
flat bottom and said concave surface, and the truncated
conically-shaped side portion of said concave surface of the dish
has liquid drainage channels thereon directed into said indentation
or indentations away from said flat bottom such that, in use,
liquid on the surface will drain into the indentation or
indentations and not onto said flat bottom.
18. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said bottom
of the dish is encircled by a low ridge to define a central region,
said indentations forming the operatively lowermost point of the
cooking dish, said drainage channels cooperating with the channels
between said rib formations for directing drainage juices into said
indentations.
19. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said bottom
of the dish is encircled by a low ridge to define a central region,
said indentations forming the operatively lowermost point of the
cooking dish and cooperating with said low ridge to prevent some of
the liquids from draining into said central region.
20. A cooking apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein said low
ridge has at least one drainage cut leading into one of said
indentations for draining thereinto and away from said flat central
region.
Description
This invention relates to a cooking apparatus and in particular a
cooking apparatus utilised for barbecues.
Barbecueing is a popular and traditional method of cooking food out
of doors. A common appliance used to barbecue food is the
"plough-share" barbecue. This is generally a shallow dish supported
by legs. The dish is operatively placed over an open fire or gas
heat source and any food to be cooked is placed in the dish. The
advantage of this form of barbecue is that the food can be cooked
in a sauce or its own juice which is contained in the dish. A
disadvantage is that the food tends to migrate down the sides of
the dish towards the centre and that food and the sauces accumulate
in the centre of the dish. Where it is desired to cook different
foods at the same time it is often preferable for some of the foods
to be cooked to of the sauce and juice mix. Also certain foods cook
better on a grid type surface.
It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a
"plough-share" barbecue which facilitates cooking of food.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a cooking
apparatus of the type described above, comprising a dish having a
multiplicity of raised formations covering a major portion of the
cooking surface of the dish.
Further there is provided for the raised formations to comprise a
plurality of parallel rib formations. These parallel rib formations
will preferably extend substantially circumferentially around at
least a part of the cooking surface.
A feature of the invention provides for a plurality of liquid
collection indentations set into the dish near the bottom thereof
with the indentations preferably shaped correspondingly to common
basting spoons.
A further feature of the invention provides for the dish to have a
flat central region with a ridge encircling the central region and
with the ridge having drainage channels therethrough.
It will be appreciated that the drainage channels communicate with
the indentations such that liquids may drain to the
indentations.
The invention also provides in combination a cooking apparatus as
defined above having associated therewith a warming grid and having
attached thereto a plurality of support legs.
The apparatus will preferably be manufactured from cast iron, may
have a downwardly directed skirt depending from the undersurface of
the dish, and may have formations on the undersurface thereof for
connecting the dish to the outlet of a portable gas container. The
dish may also have a handle associated therewith.
An embodiment of the invention described by way of examply only
follows with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view along A--A of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of the invention having support
legs attached thereto.
FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of the invention with a portable
gas cylinder attached thereto.
Referring firstly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is provided a cooking
apparatus in the form of a "plough-share" barbecue comprising a
dish generally indicated by the numeral 1 having rib formations 2
defined on the concave surface thereof. The dish has a truncated
conically-shaped side portion extending from the bottom
thereof.
The rib formations 2 stand proud of the cooking surface of the dish
and extend substantially parallel with each other and parallel with
the rim 3 of the dish. The overall effect is a "stepped" or ripple
like cooking surface. The rib formations are each broken at various
points along their length, the combined effect of the breaks being
to form radial drainage channels 4 which in use will convey juices
from between adjacent ribs down to the central region of the
dish.
The central region of the dish has two spoon shaped indentations 6
therein for the collection of drained cooking liquids. The
indentations are preferably shaped correspondingly to common
basting spoons such that such spoons may operatively be placed into
the indentations to collect juices to baste the food being
cooked.
The dish has a flat circular center 7 with a ridge 8 encircling
this center, the ridge having half height slits 9 therethrough so
that some of the liquid which collects in the center can drain into
the basting indentations 6. The basting indentations thus define
the operatively lowermost point of the cooking dish.
One radial section 10 of the dish has a smooth surface. This smooth
surface can be used for cooking foodstuffs not suitably cooked on
the ripple like cooking surface formed by the ridges.
Referring now to FIG. 3 the invention may optionally be provided
with four female screw sockets 12 into each one of which a leg 11
may be screwed. The legs each having one end thereof threaded
complimentarily to the sockets 12. This arrangement allows the dish
to be supported off a heat source as desired.
The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 includes mounting means 13 to which
the outlet from a portable gas cylinder 14 can connect to direct a
flame 15 onto the undersurface of the dish. A flame guard 16
protects the flame in windy conditions. Also, a downwardly
depending skirt 17 integrally formed around the periphery of the
dish assists in flame protection and heat retention.
The invention may be provided with a warming grill of known type
which fits over the top thereof and is supported by the upper edge
of the dish.
It will be appreciated that the flat central region of the
appliance facilitates the preparation of foodstuffs such as eggs,
tomatoes, and the like which are difficult to prepare on sloping
surfaces.
The ribs operatively enable the collection of cooking sauces on the
sides of the dish enhancing the cooking process. The ribs further
prevent foodstuffs from sliding toward the center of the dish.
It will be further appreciated that numerous variations may be made
to the above described embodiments of the invention without
departing from the scope hereof which is limited only to a cooking
apparatus in the form of a "plough-share" barbecue comprising a
dish having a multiplicity of raised formations which cover a major
portion of the cooking surface of the dish. The formations may for
example be in the form of inverted dimples rather than ribs. Other
raised formations are also envisaged.
* * * * *